Mumbai : Alibag Forest Department is waiting for the final approval of the environment ministry of the Government of India to start mangrove plantation as compensatory forestation in Raigad district. This is to make up for the forest land that will be affected by the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL).
Once the approval is given by the environment ministry, the land in Raigad district will be surveyed for mangrove plantation. Plantation are expected to come up in 47 hectare of in Panvel, Shrivardhan and Uran which fall under Raigad district.
Officials from Alibag Forest Department said, “MMRDA (Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority) had given a proposal for forest land diversion under forest conservation act of 1980 which we approved. The proposal has been forwarded to Central Government for its approval and is underway.”
Under the forest conservation act of 1980, compensatory forest land is to be handed over by MMRDA to make up for the loss of forested land during construction of any infrastructure project.
According to the forest officials, 1.30 hectares of mangroves in Thane would be affected by the link road. Also, 46 hectare of forest land in Uran taluka situated in Alibag division would be affected due to the construction of roads for the MTHL project.
“The 1.30 hectare of affected mangrove in Thane would be restored by Mangrove Cell situated in Bandra,” said a forest official.
Jayoti Banerjee, Deputy Conservator of Forest (DCF), Alibag, said, “We have processed everything with regards to the mangrove plantation. Mangrove cell would be looking after the plantation of mangrove.” Officials from Mangrove cell were unavailable to comment on the matter.